I've met an Isis International member last week during a seminar I went to with my mom.  My mom told me that she was Ms. Somera, a supporter of the RH Bill and an active member of the said feminist group. I asked what were her thought regarding the status of the passage of the Bill. She told me that the Bill was already long overdue and that she knows that the longer the Bill gets to be neglected by the government, more and more women are suffering from either the lack of knowledge on family planning or the being exposed to unwanted sexually transmitted diseases. She also told me that their organization is still hoping and trying to get to the government in making them realize the importance of the passage of the RH Bill.

    While talking with her, it also came to me that the Bill seemed to have stagnated yet again is being forgotten (like many of the other bills proposed in the Congress and Senate). I just hope that it still would get passed in this new administration.
 
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image from: dancewithshadows.com
After discussing on some artificial contraceptives, now I'm going to post information on several natural contraceptive methods.


Periodic Abstinence

This is one of the most commonly done natural contraceptive method in most countries. It is a method wherein it is observed when a woman's fertile time is identified. These methods include the standard days method, calendar (rhythm) method, cervical mucus (or ovulation) method, and basal body temperature method.

Standard Days Method

This method is done by predicting fertility through observing the length of the menstrual cycle. This method does not really need a calendar. Method: (From www.contracept.org)


To use the SDM you will need to count the days of your menstrual cycle, starting with the first day your period begins.


1. Count the first day of your period as day 1.


2. On days 1 to 7 you are not fertile and can have unprotected intercourse. (Provided neither partner has an STD, it is medically safe to have sex even while menstruating!)


3. On days 8 to 19 you must avoid sex or use a barrier method if you do not want to get pregnant.


4. From day 20 until your period starts you can have unprotected sex.

 
This method was first used during the 1920's and is one of the most recommended method for those who have regular menstruations. It is done by following the strict rule of only having sex 14 days before menstruation, plus or minus 2 days. 
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from: bibledude.net
 
This one's not really common here in the Philippines. I just thought of adding it anyways.
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Female Condoms

Female condoms were first available in Europe and was used in other countries after 1992. It functions almost the same way as a male condom, though it was not really accepted in many countries for several reasons. One was it really was not as effective as the male condom and it was also proven that using the Pill was even more effective. Another reason was that it required a lot of lubricant to use and caused unnecessary noises during intercourse. It was also highly expensive and was not really available in a lot of countries. 

 
Counterpart of vasectomy for males.
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Tubal Ligation

Tubal ligation is a female sterilization method that is also common in the Philippines. Proven 99.5% effective, tubal ligation is considered to be one of the best options in contraception surgery types. It is an outpatient surgery that usually uses mild to general anesthesia. It is also recommended for women who has undergone this operation to take a 2-3 days of rest or at least light activities. Although it is a form of contraception, IT DOES NOT protect you from STDs. Same goes for vasectomy.

Source: fwhc.org

 
Now here's a contraceptive quite common for females, contraceptive pills.
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Oral Contraceptive Pills

Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCPs) or sometimes called "the Pill," is an oral contraceptive that is taken usually after unprotected sex to prevent conception. It's one of the most recommended contraceptive by doctors because some brands could even help in preventing in acquiring cervical cancer. Although some reports may claim that OCPs can cause birth defects and irregular menstruation. The most common OCP in the Philippines is the Trust OCP. 

Reference: ec.princeton.edu/worldwide/default.asp

 
Yesterday it was about condoms, this time its an artificial family planning method male vasectomy. Note that I'm only stating methods and contraceptives that are common in the Philippines.
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Vasectomy

Vasectomy is an out patient surgery done as a method of sterilization of males. Its proven to be 99.6 % effective as a method of contraception and is widely used around the world by most middle aged men.  Despite others may argue, vasectomy is perfectly safe and effective. Procedures in vasectomy surgeries can be seen on the image to the left. 


Sources: webmd.com, vasectomy.com

 
After posting a lot about the different issues in my mind for the last weeks, now I will start posting on the different Contraceptives and Artificial Family Planning Methods available in the Philippines. Let's start with the condoms.
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Condoms

There are actually two types of condoms: condoms specifically made for men or women. Condoms are basically made out of synthetic or natural materials that prevent the exchange of fluids released by either organs, mainly targeting the access of semen during sexual intercourse. Condoms are also one of the most effective means in acquiring Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). As far as male birth control goes, male condoms are it (although a male birth control pill is in the works). However, they have been around a long time and are probably one of the oldest forms of birth control still in existence today. In fact, illustrations of condoms dating back 3000 years have been found in Egypt. Over the years, condoms have been made out of everything from linen to animal intestines and even tortoise shells (ouch!). In the 1840s, though, vulcanized rubber condoms began to be produced and it wasn't long before condoms took on the moniker "rubbers".


Reference and Source: epigee.org


 
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Image from: Inquirer
There's a lot of questions on why and how will Br. Armin will be handling DepEd as its Secretary. Even the DepEd officers themselves oppose this decision by the president. they claim that Br. Armin would inspire more religious leaders to take up political posts or if him being in the cabinet would result to the violation of the constitution in the seperation of Church and State. Other than these numerous issues, its also questioned whether Br. Armin would be pro-sex education. And like what some of my professors have been saying during class whenever this topic came up, they would often say that Br. Armin was very liberal and if they would be guessing on which side he is leaning on to, it would be probably on passing the sex education.


Personally I think putting Br. Armin there would not be such a bad idea, (besides the fact that I'm a Lasallian) I'm also quite sure that he would do his job well based on what I see in DLSU right now. I can't really claim whether he is really a good person, or intelligent or something because I do not really know the person that well as I'm also quite sure those who critique him doesn't as well. I think the best thing to do now is trust the president's decision.
 
I was looking through the facebook accounts of some highschool friends and i was surprised to see that some of them are already parents. i did not really expect what i saw because i know some of them, an i'm quite sure they're knowledgeable enough about contraceptives or at least the consequences of unsafe sex. Which makes me wonder sometimes if is really about the knowledge about contraceptives the answer to unplanned parenthood?